The present invention generally relates to driver-operated vehicles. More particularly, this invention relates to methods and systems suitable for supplying driving assistance to a driver of a vehicle, for example, dynamic driving assistance and warnings, to improve safety during operation of a passenger vehicle.
Since the introduction and popularization of motorized passenger vehicles (automobiles) to the general public, there has been an interest in automating their operation and removing the need for human control. As early as 1920, remote radio controlled “phantom motor cars” were developed and showcased as the future of automobile transportation. More recently, a variety of both military and commercial projects have been undertaken to build and improve automated vehicle programs. At the time of this writing, several automobile manufacturers produce varying degrees of automation in their models, including adaptive cruise control, lane assist (determining the lateral distance between vehicles in adjacent lanes) and parking assist. Some passenger vehicles are now capable of fully automated parking. Many manufacturers expect to produce and bring to market completely automated passenger vehicles within the next ten years.
A large number of issues pertaining to automated vehicles remain unresolved. How these automated vehicles are introduced and integrated into the larger public traffic system remains mostly untested on a large scale. In addition, very little legislation has been put into effect to prepare for or accommodate automated vehicles. What has been enacted and drafted has been on a state-to-state basis, and typically simply defines what automated vehicles are, and directs the government to further develop regulations pertaining to them.
As research into vehicle automation has progressed, a variety of driving assistance systems have been produced and introduced. These include vehicle navigation, for example, GPS, adaptive cruise control, lane change assistance, collision avoidance systems, night vision, adaptive light control, parking assistance, blind spot detection, and driver drowsiness detection. Some or all of these features could be integrated into an automated vehicle. These driving assistance technologies are useful in their own right, and are very beneficial to driver awareness and safety. They are and will continue to be employed as standalone technologies without full vehicle automation. However, these technologies are often not used to their full potential, and are simply single features added to vehicles. A method or system of integrating these technologies could foreseeably greatly increase their effectiveness.
The largest source of vehicle accidents is human error. While full vehicle automation is one possible solution to this, its widespread integration and implementation is still in the future. In the meantime, there is a need for greater and more comprehensive methods of reducing human error as a factor in vehicle accidents. Many technologies are in place that can improve various aspects of driver safety, however, they are not used to their full potential as both part of an integrated system and as a system individually tailored to a specific or individual driver of a particular vehicle.